Case Number 24106

SUMMER INTERLUDE (BLU-RAY) CRITERION COLLECTION

The Charge

The most INTIMATE love story ever told!

Opening Statement

"Women. I'll never understand them."

Facts of the Case

Marie (Maj-Britt Nelson, To Joy) is a gifted yet emotionally
closed-off ballerina. However, her steely exterior begins to crack when she
receives an unexpected gift: the diary of her former lover Henrik (Birger
Malmsten, The Silence). As she reflects on her old relationship, we see
flashbacks of a much happier time in Marie's life. What transformed this
formerly carefree, giddy, high-spirited girl into the woman she is today?

The Evidence

While Ingmar Bergman had proven himself to be a gifted and ambitious director
during the very earliest stages of his career (as evidenced by Criterion's first
Eclipse box set Early Bergman), his lyrical meditation Summer
Interlude represents one of the most significant turning points in his
career. While it would be something of a stretch to call the film his first
masterpiece (certain thematic elements would be handled more impressively in
later films), it's an exceptional movie that marks the first time Bergman would
begin demonstrating more interest in his female characters than in his male ones
(a trend that would continue for the remainder of his career, though there are
certainly a handful of male-centered exceptions like The Seventh Seal,
Winter Light, and Wild Strawberries).

It's also a movie that deals thoughtfully with all three of the major themes
that would appear again and again in Bergman's work: God, death, and sex.
Granted, the film's mournful exploration of death isn't as potent as Cries
and Whispers, its bitter thoughts on God certainly aren't as complex or
thought-provoking as those offered in Winter Light, and its study of
sexuality isn't as rich and multi-layered as Smiles of a Summer Night.
Still, the film serves as an immensely valuable experience for Bergman fans, as
one can see the seeds of many great works being sown.

Perhaps what I've said thus far has brought you to the conclusion that
Summer Interlude may be more valuable for hardcore cinephiles and film
historians than for the average viewer, but let me quickly correct that
assumption and assure you that the movie is a rather satisfying self-contained
viewing experience. The best-kept secret about Ingmar Bergman is that he was a
terrific entertainer; his movies aren't pretentious cinematic chores that are
more easily appreciated than enjoyed. There's a great deal of playful humor and
engaging drama present in the film, and Bergman offsets the potential pomposity
of his Big Statements by giving the overall texture of the movie down-to-earth
charm.

The film's greatest asset is Maj-Britt Nelson, who in this film demonstrates
why she's referred to as one of Bergman's most underrated actresses. She's so
effectively chilly in the film's early scenes that it's almost alarming to see
her youthful exuberance on display when the extended flashbacks begin. Giddy and
oozing with playful sexuality, Nelson commands the screen with charismatic ease.
There's a terrific scene in which she's preparing to wander down to the lake to
do a little fishing. As she gets ready, she makes nonsensical noises and swings
her fishing pole around the room with cheerful obliviousness. There's no real
purpose to the scene, aside from the fact that it demonstrates just how
genuinely enchanting Nelson can be. Bergman lingers on her lovingly throughout
the film (with tender desire during the flashbacks and with enormous empathy
during the later sequences), providing her with an exceptionally large number of
those now-iconic close-ups. The director once famously said that, "the
human face is the great instrument of cinema. Everything is there."
Watching Nelson deal with a multitude of conflicting emotions during the
present-day sequences, we see a terrific example of precisely what he was
talking about.

Speaking of memorable imagery: one of the great things about early Bergman
films is that they're generally blessed with the cinematography of the great
Gunnar Fischer; whose rich, deep style has always appealed to me just a bit more
than the (admittedly impressive) work of the much-celebrated Sven Nykvist. Here,
Fischer repeatedly demonstrates what a valuable asset he was to Bergman during
those early years; delivering countless memorable images that greatly enhance
the surface-level ideas. My favorite moment comes towards the end. It's a scene
involving two characters, and while most filmmakers would have focused on their
faces, Bergman and Fischer pan down to their feet. What we see is a touchingly
understated image that segues beautifully into the film's rapturous finale (a
joyous performance of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake).

In terms of the transfer, Summer Interlude (Blu-ray) isn't quite as
pristine as the other Bergman films Criterion has released thus far. Sure, the
1080p/Full Frame transfer does indeed feature strong detail and depth
throughout, but it also suffers from some print damage that Criterion simply
couldn't do anything about. Some scratches and lines are present that couldn't
be removed, and a few scenes also look quite soft. Still, it seems that
everything that could be tidied up has been, and the movie still looks strong
for its age. The LPCM 1.0 Mono track is stellar, with mostly-clean dialogue and
a robust musical score coming through with strength and clarity. The only flaws
I'd note in that regard is that the track is quieter than average (I had to turn
my speakers up a good deal more than usual to hear everything) and that a
handful of dialogue exchanges sound a little muffled. Disappointingly, the only
supplement is a booklet featuring an essay by Peter Cowie (though Criterion's
typically steep price tag has been discounted a bit to make up for this).

Closing Statement

Summer Interlude falls a bit short of being a truly great Bergman film
-- it's less focused and less substantial than many of the films that would
follow it -- but it's an engaging, thoughtful effort and an important part of
the director's resume. Criterion's Blu-ray release is stellar in the technical
department, though the lack of supplemental material is disappointing.